Sun City resident Bob Hartman’s has family lore that his grandfather made a guitar for Gene Audrey.
Hartman said, “My story begins when I got my first guitar when I was 12. I knew my grandfather made it, but that was about it.”
In 1978, Hartman’s sister gave him her harp mandolin, and his uncle gave him an 8-string ukelele, both made by Hartman’s grandfather, Carl Larson.
Hartman said, “All of them were like new. They probably hadn’t been played since 1920. We had all three hanging on the wall.”
Hartman’s wife, Carol, said, “In 1979, we went on a trip and returned to a disaster. We had a break-in to our home, and the intruder vandalized the instruments; they were smashed.”
When filing a claim for the break-in, the insurance agent recommended a place where the instruments could be restored.
Carol said, “We went to the Wooden Music Company owned by Jim Beach. He recognized that the Larson brothers made the instruments. He restored the instruments, using as much of the original pieces as possible. He gave us some information on the instruments made by Larson brothers.”
Carol said, “Although it was a bad situation, it started our journey of discovering the history of the Larson guitar. Our detective work began.”
Hartman’s first step was to talk to his mother and two uncles. He wanted to gather as much information as possible about the two brothers, Carl and August. He found out that they knew little about their dad’s work.
Carl and August came from Sweden with woodworking skills and found jobs in Chicago. They worked as luthiers in Cubley’s shop in the Ravenswood neighborhood, building or repairing stringed instruments.
Carol said, “That led us to Ravenswood Library, where we found a photograph taken in 1889 of the shop’s employees. We discovered that in 1893, the shop had a fire for the second time, and the owner did not rebuild.”
At the Newberry Library, the Hartmans found information on Maurer & Co., where the brothers found a job building mandolins and guitars. August eventually bought the business with some backing in 1900.
Carol said, “We got a lead about George Gruhn in Nashville, who was also from Chicago and knew much about the Larson guitars. We took a trip down there and interviewed him.”
One thing led to another, and the couple was made aware of a 1977 “Guitar Player” magazine that featured Les Paul on the cover and had an article about Les Paul visiting the Larson shop.
Hartman said, “I called Les Paul, and I was so nervous I said, ‘I’ll have to call you back.’ When I did call him back, he allowed me to record our conversation about the Larson guitar.”
Carol started keeping a scrapbook of all the information they had collected, visiting cities and talking to celebrities familiar with the Larson information.
“We were having a ball. The scrapbook was getting huge. I told Bob, ‘I think you will be an author’” she said.
Carol was a typist, and Bob worked in the printing industry. With permission, they were able to print their first book.
Hartman said, “I began research in 1979 and published my first book in 1984. It was a thrill printing my book after printing so many jobs for other customers.”
The book’s printing didn’t stop the couple from gathering information. Soon, they had enough for another book. In 1988, Hartman printed his second book. He said, “Each of my books gives the reader a growing knowledge of the Larson brothers and their accomplishments.”
The brothers’ instruments bore the names Maurer, Prairie State, Euphonon, W.J. Dyer & Bro, and Wm. C. Stahl. Today, they are considered some of the finest ever made.
Hartman said, “The guitars were made using a unique technique. The top and back of the instruments were made under tension. That produced a bright, focused tone with a resonant bass and balanced mid-range that sounds like nothing else. The brothers had five patents.”
The books caught the attention of a publisher, Centerstream, who published the next two. The third published book also includes a CD featuring guitarist Muriel Anderson playing 11 songs on 11 Larson instruments. The books also include many pages of color photos.
In their quest to gather information on the Larson guitars, Bob found that no plans were made for a transition or sale of the Larson Brothers Company.
“My grandfather retired, and when his brother, August, died, Maurer & Co. died with him in 1944. The contents and tooling were sold to a cabinet maker, and the business entity was dissolved. Family members saved the company records in a garage for a while but were ultimately thrown out,” Hartman said.
Hartman’s fifth book, “The Larson Brothers’ Legacy,” includes many accounts by performers and collectors of the instruments.
He said, “Larson Brothers guitars were popular with the country and western singers on WLS-AM in Chicago and the Nation Barn Dance. They were played by Marjorie Lynn, the Prairie Ramblers, Arkie, the Arkansas Woodchopper, Gene Autry, and Patsy Montana.”
Carol said, “Bob would play all our instruments at family gatherings. We now have five generations at these gatherings.
“I have made nine guitars myself and gave them to my children, grandchildren, and one to my great-grandson,” Hartman provided.
The Hartmans love music. They enjoy square dancing and attend the Harp Guitar Gathering event organized by Stephen Bennett every year.
Hartman said, “Stephen plays his great-grandfather’s Harp Guitar and has performed worldwide. The last few times, we have said this might be the last time we come to the harp guitar gatherings, but we managed to get there and hope we can make it this year.”
Hartman published his last book in 2024.
He said, “I have written several poems and plan to put them together in a book.” His latest poem, “Author’s Lament,” shows he is not ready to quit writing.
